Electric switch.



PATENTED MAY 5, 1903. J. L. STBEB.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLIOATIO FILED AUG. so. 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No M'onm..

whe

"wfa No. 727,478. PATENTED MAY 5, 190s.

J. L. STEEB.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED AUC. so. 1902.

,No MODEL. z SHEETS-SHEET 2.'

limitan STATES Patented May 5, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.-

JOHN L. STEEB, OF BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TOWILLIAM M. CARNAHAN, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, AND FRANK M. MEGOGNEY,OF ELIZABETH, PENNSYLVANIA.

SBEGIFICAEIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,478, dated May 5,1903.

Application filed August 30, 1902. Serial No. 121,614. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. STEEB, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing` at Butler, in the county of Butler and State ot'Pennsylvania, haveinventedcertain new and useful Improvements inElectric Switches, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inelectrical switches, and is particularly adapted for use in connectionwith the operation of electrically-operated street-railways.

The invention has for its object to provide novel means whereby themotorman may conveniently operate the switch to move the switch-tongueso as to pass the car onto the desired track without his dismountingfrom the car or without stopping the car, if desired, on approaching theswitch.

Briefly described, my invention consists of a pair of electromagnetswhich are suitably located in the road-bed adjacent to the switchpoint,the magnets being placed in alinement with each other with a commonarmature for each, the said armature being connected to the Switchpoint,whereby when theflarmature is attracted to one or the other of themagnets the switch-point is moved so as to open or close the switch,according to the direction in which the armature is moved. The coils ofthe electromagnets are connected to contacts located in the road-bed,and the circuit is completed through these contacts to the magnetsthrough the medium of springpressed shoes carried by the car and whichare in turn electrically connected to a switch which is suitably locatedon the car. The switch is in turn electrically connected to thc currentor feed wire.

All of the aboveA construction will be hereinafter more fully describedin detail and then specifically pointed out in the-claims, and indescribing the invention in detail reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and whereinlike numerals of reference willbe employed for indicating like partsthroughout the several views of` the drawings, in which- Figure 1 isacentral longitudinal sectional view through a portion of a road-bedequipped with my improved switch-throwing mechanism, also showing aportion of the car and the connections therewith. Fig. 2 is a horizontalsectional view of the casing which surrounds the switch mechanism,showing the latter in top plan view. Fig. Sis alongitudinal sectionalView of the portion of the casing showing one of the contacts insection. Fig'. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of thespring-pressed contact-shoes carried by the car. Fig. 5 is an end viewof the shoes, showing the support therefor in side elevation. Fig. 6 isa detached detail perspective view of one of the bearings in which thespring pressed contactshoes are pivoted. Fig. 7 is `a detail perspectiveview of the switch employed for completing the circuit to throw theswitch-tongue in the desired direction'.

In the practice of my invention I locate a casing 1 in the roadbedadjacent to the switch-tongue 2, insulating the casing from the rail ofthe track in any desirable manner. IVithin this casing I arrange a pairof electromagnets v3 4E, the armature 5 of which is between the adjacentends of the alined magnets.

7 indicates an arm, to which the armature 5 is secured, said arm beingpivoted at a point intermediate its ends to the support 6. The outer endof this arm 7 is pivotallyconnected to a rod 8, having its other endpivotally attached to a bell-crank 9, that is in turn pivotallyconnected to a link or lever 10, which is connected to the switch-tongue2. The bell-crank 9 is pivotally mounted on a pedestal or support 11,secured on the bottom of the casing 1. The casing l is provided with asuitable cover-plate 12, which is made flush with the road-bed of thetrack,and within the casing, near one end thereof, is placed a pair ofsupporting-blocksA 14115. The block 14 is provided with apertures toreceive the circuit-wires 16 17, which are connected to theelectromagnets 3 4, respectively, and to the contacts 1S 19, which arearranged on the supporting-blocks 14 15 and suitably insu latedtherefrom and also insulated from the cover-plate 12 of the casing. Thecontacts 18 19 are bowed so as to project above the cover-plate 12, thelatter being provided with slots for this purpose.

Attached to the guard-fender 2O of the car 21 is a series of bearings,in which the springpressed contact-shoes are pivotally mounted. Each ofthese bearings comprises a pair ot' bearing-blocks 22, which aresecurely fastened to the rear face of the guard-fender 2O and areconnected by a cross-bar 23, carrying an integral lug 24. Jourualed ineach pair of the bearings 22 is a rod or journalshaft 25, which carriesthe spring-pressed contact-shoe 26. Each of these shoes is under thetension of springs 27, a portion of which lie on the upper face of theshoe and the other part of which is wrapped on the rod or journal-shaft25 at each side of the shoe, so as to exert the tension of the springs,on said shoes. These shoes are therefore at all times under the tensionof the springs 27, and the shoes are held in a substantially horizontalposition by means of the projecting lugs 24, against which they rest, asshown in Fig. 1. These shoes are connected, respectively, by the wires18 19 to the switch, which is located on the car and by means of whichthe circuit is completed and controlled.

This switch as employed by me consists of a support 28, which is securedto the dashboard of the car or at any other convenient point and has twoWings 29 30 depending therefrom at an angle in opposite directions.These Wings 29 30 carry contacts 31 32 at one lower corner of each, withwhich the wires 16 17 respectively connect. The switch proper consistsof a hinged gate 33, depending from the support 28 and having contacts34 at one lower corner, these contacts being located on each side of thegate, whereby circuit Will be completed through the same with eithercontacts 31 or 32. The gate is provided with a suitable handle 35 foroperating the same, and circuit-wires 36 connect the contacts 34 withthe feed-line 37, leading to the trolley-wire. (Not shown.)

In the present illustration ot myinvention the switch-tongue is shown soas to pass the car onto the side track, and to do this the gate 33 wasmoved by hand so as to engage one of the contacts 34 with the contact31, thus completing the circuit through one of the shoes 26, through thecontact 18, and the magnet 4 to the rails, energizing the magnet 4, soas to draw the armature 5 in engagement therewith, and thereby actuatethe rod 8, bell-crank 9, and link 10 and move the switch-tongue. Whenthe shoe 26 passes out of engagement with the contact 18, the circuit isbroken and the switch-point remains in the position to which it has beenmoved.

Assuming that it is desired to pass the car to the straight track andthe switch-point is in the position shown, the gate 33 would be moved soas to engage contact 34 with contact 32, thus completing a circuitthrough wire 17, contact 19, to the magnet 3, and to the rail,energizing the magnet 3, so as to draw the armature 5 in engagementtherewith and through its connections with the switchtongue operate thelatter to open the line to the main track. The switch-tongue remains inthe position to which it has been moved until it is again operated byanother car passing over the line. The contact-shoes are preferablyspring-held in a manner similarto that shown, so as to always insure aneffective contact thereof with the contacts 18 19, and are preventedfrom dragging upon the street by the lugs 24, which support the same ina substantial horizontal position. As long as the contacts 34 are out ofengagement with either contacts 3l or 32 no circuitis completed whilethe car is passing over the mechanism and the latter remains in itsnormal position.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is Y 1. The combination with theswitch-tongue, and a casing arranged in the road-bed, of a pair ofelectromagnets arranged in the said casing, a pivoted armature,connections between said arma'ture and switch tongue,transversely-arranged supports arranged in said casing, contactsarranged on said supports, said contacts projecting through apertures inthe top of the said casing, electrical connections between the saidcontacts and electromagnets, and means carried by the car for completingan electrical circuit through one of the contacts to one or the other ofthe magnets, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the switch-tongue, the electromagnets and anarmature for said magnets, said armature being operatively connected tothe switch-tongue, of contacts, electrical connections connecting saidcontacts and electromagnets, a pair of springpressed shoes pivoted tothe fender of the car, a switch located on the car, and electricalconnections between said switch and the saidv shoes whereby the circuitis completed through one of the shoes and one of the contacts to one orthe other of the electromagnets to operate the switch-tongue,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOI-IN L. STEEB.

Witnesses:

JOHN NOLAND, L. H. BUTLER.

ICO

IIO

